


5 times Daniel was the grid's matchmaker, and one time the grid was his

by Dr3amingInColour, MerlinSpecter



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Kissing, Awkwardness, Bad Matchmaking, Crack, Dan being a dork, First Kiss, Fluff and Crack, Gen, M/M, Matchmaking, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other, sexy music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-03-09 12:17:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13481310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr3amingInColour/pseuds/Dr3amingInColour, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlinSpecter/pseuds/MerlinSpecter
Summary: Dan is the self proclaimed matchmaker of F1, although his methods might be odd at best, he's more succesful than most would like to admit.He succeeds at getting 5 couples together, before he needs a little help himself.1st: Kimi and Sebastian2nd: Jenson and Fernando3rd: Stoffel and Pierre4th: Esteban and Lance5th: Nico and Checo6th: Daniel and Max





	1. 1: Seb and Kimi

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooo, I had this idea in my head for a while now, and I finally got round to writing it :P  
> I'm not 100% sure who the other couples will be for who Dan will be the matchmaker, so opionions and ideas are very welcome :D
> 
> Just to give everyone a heads up, this is going to end up Dan/Max cuz I have a problem XD  
> Cheers!
> 
> And just to state the obvious: this is going to be a 6 part fic *shocker*

It was pretty obvious that Kimi and Seb were close, the two Ferrari drivers mostly hanging out together at the paddock. 

But while most people just thought they were friends, Daniel thought he sensed something more. 

He had seen the way Seb would look at Kimi when he passed by, the sort of badly hidden longing that was so overly cliché it was hard for Dan to miss. 

At the same time, he noticed Kimi would actually smile at Seb, not just the small upturn of one of the corners of his mouth, as he would whenever someone made a joke worthy enough, but an actual smile.  
Dan wasn’t a 100% sure that could be counted as want or love, but Kimi was Finnish, so he doubted there was anyone who could really know. But luckily for them, Dan was always up for a challenge.

And so, he formed a plan.

It wasn’t overly complicated, far from it actually. He only needed to make sure to be around when Seb and Kimi were hanging out together, and have his phone ready.

It didn’t take long for the right opportunity to arise. 

Dan was wandering around the paddock, bored out of his mind, when he saw Kimi and Seb in the shadow of their motorhomes, Seb wildly gesturing with his arms as he spoke, and Kimi smiling and nodding every once in a while, looking on with an ever so slightly amused expression.

Dan slowly walked closer, staying around the corner of the motorhomes to make sure he wasn’t spotted immediately. He winced when he almost dropped his phone, but eventually succeeded at scrolling through his phone until he found what he was looking for, a wide grin on his face.

~~

Kimi silently listened to Seb’s story. It really hadn’t been the first time he had listened to this particular one, but he didn’t mind, he liked seeing Sebastian getting so passionate about something. He enjoyed spending this kind of alone time with his teammate, Seb being way more relaxed when there wasn’t any press or media around.

Suddenly, the heard music, one of those sexy saxophone songs. He narrowed his eyes, trying to find out where the music was coming from. Sebastian had stopped talking altogether and was blushing furiously, something Kimi didn’t quite register.

Kimi rounded the corner to find Dan innocently smiling at him.

“What are you doing?” Kimi asked gruffly, hearing Seb come up behind him. Dan coughed awkwardly and turned off the music.

“Just, ehh, setting the mood...?” Dan said slowly. Sebastian's blush intensified behind Kimi, who was still frowning.

“Setting the mood for what?”

“… You two” Dan said, even slower. 

Sebastian’s cheeks now resembled the colour of his car, but Kimi still hadn’t seen it, too busy with frowning at Dan through is sunglasses to notice his team mate's state.

“Why.” He demanded. Dan was starting to fidget under his intense gaze.

“Well ehh… you know…” Dan was starting to deeply regret his plan now. 

Luckily for him, Kimi took that moment to turn to Seb for a moment, raising an eyebrow in surprise when he saw his teammates red face.

“Seb, why are blushing?” Kimi tilted his head slightly. Seb opened and closed his mouth, words not really coming out. 

The German glared at Dan over Kimi’s shoulder, but the Finn wasn’t so easily distracted. 

“Seb?” Kimi asked again, his team mate finally looking back at him. Sebastian looked frozen on the spot, looking at Kimi with wide eyes. 

Kimi gently poked Seb’s shoulder.

“You okay?” 

“Uhuh…”

“You don’t look okay…” Kimi frowned when Seb’s eyes went to his lips, then flickered up to his eyes again.

“Seb, wha-“ his sentence was interrupted by Seb grabbing to collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to smash their lips together. Kimi hummed in surprise, but found himself kissing back, his hand moving to Seb's neck. 

Seb pulled away first, the blush still prominent on his cheeks. Kimi stared at him, then leaned in to press their lips together for the second time.

The moment was interrupted, however, by the same saxophone music from before playing again. Seb groaned and pulled away again.

“Dan! I swear to god!” he exclaimed. 

Dan, for once, was smart enough to take the hint and quickly ran off. 

It didn’t matter that this was probably come back to bite him, he had succeeded.


	2. 2: Fernando and Jenson

Dan sighed as he got out of his car, this definitely hadn’t gone the way he had hoped for. He made the long walk back to the paddock, not daring to talk. He was too angry for that. 

Taking off his helmet, he glanced towards the screens. Standing at the screens was someone he immediately recognized. He plastered another grin on his face, not as wide as it usually was, and walked over, clasping the man on the shoulder.

“Jenson!” he said. Jenson turned with a startled look, having been too caught up by what was going on on the screens to notice Dan walking up to him. 

“Oh, hi Dan! Sorry about your qualy, that really sucks.” he said with an understanding expression. Daniel brushed it off with a shrug.

“Ah well, these things happen.” he said as they both turned their attention to the screens, seeing the session starting to draw to a close.

“Nando’s on supersofts, he could top this session y’know.” Jenson looked hopeful, nervously tapping his foot as he didn’t divert his attention from the qualifying. Dan raised an eyebrow at this. He had never seen Jenson behave like this before.

“It’s the least he deserves, after all that car’s put him through.” Dan nodded in agreement. Fernando’s McLaren Honda came on the screen and Jenson’s face lit up in a smile, seeing the sector time go green. They both stayed quiet as Fernando’s car flew past, Jenson holding his breath in anticipation.

Fernando crossed the finish and Dan had to keep himself from laughing at Jenson as he jumped up and down in excitement when he saw the result. P1, fastest of the session. Daniel could have sworn he saw tears in Jenson’s eyes.

“He actually did it!” Jenson exclaimed in disbelief, the grin on his face almost rivaling Dan’s trademark smile. Daniel was surprised, he knew Jenson and Fernando got along really well, but he had never considered the fact there could be anything more.

Looking back, he was a little stupid to have missed the signs, but he was happy now he finally knew the next couple to set up in the paddock.

Jenson saw Dan’s mischievous grin, making his own smile falter.

“What are you planning, Dan?” Jenson asked with a small frown

“You’re in love with Fernando, no?” Jenson paled, his eyes widening with shock.

“I… well, you see…” he stuttered, not being able to find the right words.

“It’s okay if you are, I’ll set the 2 of you up alright.” Dan told him, nudging his shoulder. Jenson was blushing profusely now and didn’t know where to look, trying to ignore Dan’s knowing smile.

“Yes, I mean… ehm… yeah I suppose I do like him, but it doesn’t matter, he doesn’t feel the same way.”

“I’ll make sure he does, trust me on this one.” Dan winked. Jenson hesitated but then nodded.

“If you’re really sure about this..?” he said, biting his lip. Dan grinned.

“Absolutely! Consider it done mate!”

~~~

Dan knew he had to be a little more careful with this one. With Seb and Kimi, he had been fairly certain the feeling had been mutual, but with Jenson and Nando, he really didn’t know. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Jenson, but he knew there was quite a large chance he would actually succeed, so he had to just go for it.

He wasn’t sure where to start, he first wanted to know how big the chance was that Fernando felt the same way, but he wasn’t sure who to ask. He then remembered that Fernando and Mark were good friends, and if anyone would be able to help him, it would be Dan’s fellow Aussie.

“Mate, you’ve got to help me.” were the first words Daniel said down the phone. Mark chuckled.

“Sure, what is it.”

“It’s about Fernando, and erm… his romantic life.” Dan stuttered, not quite sure how to approach the topic.

“Don’t tell me you fancy the pants off him!” Mark sounded confused. 

“Nah, pretty sure that’s Jenson’s job.” 

“Considering all the bloody heart eyes Nando kept giving him across the garage, I’d have thought they were already together!” Mark exclaimed.

“So Fernando feels the same about Jenson then?” Dan asked, feeling relieved.

“For sure, no doubt about it. Nando’s been heartbroken ever since Jense left the team, you need to do something to make him happier.” Mark told him before hanging up again.

Dan thought about everything for a moment. Now that he knew the feelings were mutual, he only had to come up with a plan.

~~~~~

“Hey Nando, wanna grab a bite to eat? I know a decent local place, it’ll help us forget today.” Dan said as he walked up to Fernando, sighing a little. Fernando looked confused at the offer, but nodded.

“Yeah, sure, text me the time and place alright?” Fernando told him, to which Dan agreed, glad his plan was working.

“Jense, he agreed. I’ve booked you 2 the table at the pub, meet him there at 8.” Dan told Jenson down the phone, after Fernando was out of earshot, he couldn’t risk exposing the plan.

“Thanks, Dan, I owe you one.” Jenson replied, the nerves noticeable in his voice.

Later that evening, he was arriving at the pub to make sure everything had been arranged perfectly for the couple. He made sure to greet Fernando at the door when he came in, walking him over to the table, where Jenson was already waiting.

“Jenson?” Fernando seemed confused but walked over immediately to hug Jenson tightly. Dan grinned at the two of them, glad they were finally going on a date. 

“It was all his idea, but now he’s just gonna run back to Max and leave us alone, isn’t he.” Jenson smirked, Dan blushing bright red at the statement.

“Don’t bring my teammate into things, alright? And have fun on the date.”

“Date?” Fernando said, looking at Jenson in surprise. “Does that mean..?”

“It does. I’ve loved you for an age, I just didn’t know how I’d tell you.” Jenson said softly, a light blush colouring his cheeks. Fernando looked at him in disbelief before his face softened, stepping closer to his ex teammate.

“I feel the same. Since you left the team… I just missed you so much.” Fernando smiled hesitantly as Jenson reached out to cup his cheek, leaning in to gently press their lips together. 

Pulling back, Fernando pressed their foreheads together, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Let’s enjoy our date then, shall we?” Jenson suggested with smile. 

As they sat down, they kept their hands linked together. Jenson gave Fernando a wink, his smile turning more mischievous.

“Now he’s set us up, we need to do something about him and Max, Dan’s absolutely smitten.” Jenson said. Fernando smirked.

“I know just the way”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a disclosure: next chapter isn't Max/Dan yet ;)


	3. 3: Stoffel and Pierre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honour of Pierre's 22nd Bday today ;)

Fernando watched with an amused smile when he saw Stoffel looking at Pierre again, a small blush on his teammate’s cheeks. It was getting ridiculous, the glances, the blushing and just the overall obviousness of Stoffel’s crush on Toro Rosso’s new driver. 

Pierre saw Stoffel watching him and gave him a small wave. Stoffel’s blush darkened and he waved back before quickly turning away. Fernando didn’t waste any time to tease his younger teammate.

“I see you have it bad for him, no?” he said with a smirk. Stoffel’s eyes widened and he fumbled over his words.

“I… No, we’re friends, I don’t know what you mean…” he tried to talk his way out of it, but stopped his effort when he realised he wasn’t going to fool Fernando. He gave a small shrug and looked away.

“Just a stupid crush, that’s all.” 

“We can call Daniel, it's no problem. He set me and Jense up, he could do the same for you. You deserve to be happy, Stoff.” Fernando said, clasping a hand on Stoffel’s shoulder. Stoffel looked unsure.

“Daniel? I don’t know… He can get kinda, you know…” he trailed off, a small frown now on his face. “Besides, I don’t think Pierre feels the same way.” 

“Not true! And you need to try, I’ll help to make sure Daniel doesn’t do something too ridiculous, I promise.” Fernando told him with a comforting smile.

It turned out to be a promise he couldn’t keep.

~~~

Dan was pacing around the Monaco gym, trying desperately to come up with an idea to get Stoffel and Pierre together. Fernando had been clear that he had to at least try and tone it down a little, but that just really wasn’t his style.

Max entered the gym as well, towel slung over his shoulder and a bottle of water in his hand, and gave a confused smile when he saw Daniel’s pacing.

“Nervous for the upcoming season” he asked with a smirk. Daniel scoffed.

“No, it’s not that.” he stopped pacing and folded his arms over his chest with a pout. “Fernando asked me to get Stoffel and Pierre together, and I just can’t come up with a way to do so.” he whined. Max shrugged.

“It’s Pierre’s birthday today, he’s celebrating in here in Monaco tonight.” he said. Daniel’s grin widened. 

“You could just arrange a date for them or something.” Max said as he checked something on his phone. Daniel smiled mischievously.

“No, I have a much more original idea.”

~~~

Pierre’s birthday celebration was underway in his flat, many of his Motorsport friends joining him for drinks and FIFA. He was smiling and joking around with some of the guests, when there was sudden commotion behind the front door.

He frowned, but went to open anyway, not really knowing what to expect. Daniel stood on the other side of the door, grinning proudly. He was holding a frazzled looking Stoffel by the arm, the Belgian blushing when he saw Pierre.

Stoffel looked absolutely ridiculous. There were ribbons and bows wrapped around his body in every colour imaginable, the tight knots making it difficult for him to maintain his balance as they effectively bound his legs together. His arms were free though, and he swatted Dan’s hand away with a huff. Pierre giggled when he saw there was another bow placed on top of Stoffel’s head.

“Happy Birthday, Pierre! I hope you’ll enjoy your gift, if you know what I mean.” Dan said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Stoffel wanted the ground to swallow him at this moment, he looked ridiculous standing in front of his crush. When he asked Daniel to set it up, he said I wouldn't be embarrassing, but clearly that didn't go to plan.

Pierre looked confused for a moment, but then smiled softly at Stoffel, realising what Daniel was trying to do. It was no secret he was the paddock matchmaker, and this seemed like a very elaborate plan of his to make Stoffel start dating him. He grinned.

“Thanks Dan, I don’t think I ever got a better present for my birthday.” The Frenchman smiled back with a small smirk, a faint blush also coating his cheeks. Dan then unceremoniously pushed Stoffel towards Pierre, he was just in time to catch him as Stoffel stumbled. 

“Have fun!” he called over his shoulder as he sauntered off again. Pierre’s arms were still wrapped around the weary looking Belgian, keeping a tight grip on his waist. Stoffel swallowed nervously, startled by how close Pierre was. 

“You look cute.” Pierre said with a small smile. Stoffel gave him an exasperated look.

“Look, I swear I didn’t ask Dan to do something so ridiculous. But you probably figured out why he’s doing it, and it's true. I really like you, and if you want me, I'm all yours.” He said quietly, his nervousness clear in his voice. Pierre’s face broke out in a wide grin.

“Finally.” he said teasingly, leaning in to press a kiss to Stoffel’s lips.

“Happy 22nd pear. These ribbons aren’t going to untie themselves though, are they” Stoffel said suggestively. Pierre grinned.

“Well, I better help you then. The bedroom would be a good place to start, wouldn't it?” He replied with a smirk, before grabbing Stoffel's hand, dragging him into one of the spare rooms. 

Clearly, they weren't done for the night.


	4. 4: Lance and Esteban

Another day, another matchmaking mission for Daniel. This time, it was acting upon a drunken confession from a certain Canadian, said under the influence of champagne after Azerbaijan. Said Canadian was clearly pining after the French Force India driver, and it was just getting a little too painful to watch. Especially with Lance's constant drunken babbling about Esteban, Daniel knew he had to take action.

Daniel decided the best way to get the pair together, and he already knew it would have to involve alcohol. Lance was a lovesick mess last time he drunk, and Daniel played witness to this, and knew more Alcohol would trigger an accidental confession. So, he arranged for a party with plenty of alcohol to be held, right after Hungary, welcoming in summer break. All drivers accepted eagerly, as did the two lovesick teenagers. 

~~~  
The party was in full swing, alcohol consumed at a rather quick pace when Daniel moved to the second part of his plan.

“Alright guys! I think it’s time we played a little game!” he announced, waving around his empty beer bottle. Max, who was standing next to him, frowned.

“Please don’t say it’s…”

“Spin the Bottle!” Daniel interfered, making not only Max, but the majority of the drivers groan in annoyance. Still, Daniel somehow succeeded at gathering them all in a circle around the bottle, everyone seated on the floor.

Dan elected to go first, placing the beer bottle down on the floor, before spinning it around in a circle. Eventually it came to rest at Daniil, making both men smile awkwardly. Daniel also didn’t miss the slightly pained expression on Max’s face, but played it off as distaste for the Russian.

Daniel eventually got up and walked over to Dany, leaning down and grabbing the Russian’s face between his hands. He placed his lips on Daniil’s in a sound kiss, chuckling at the surprised huff he got in return. Pulling back, he bowed theatrically, before sauntering back to his place with a proud expression on his face. All eyes quickly turned to the bottle, the Russian already spinning it around. Everyone laughed at the outcome, except for Daniil and the man who the bottle was pointing at, Sebastian Vettel

Daniil made sure the kiss was a quick one, leaving his lips on Sebastian’s for just over a second before walking back over to his place. Sebastian gave the bottle a spin as well, but didn’t seem too excited about it anymore, especially when it stopped at Max. They'd had their fair share of on track incidents, and the relationship ship was frosty to say the least. Still, they played along but as it had been with Daniil, it was only for the shortest possible moment. 

Max’s spin landed on Esteban, which was slightly less awkward but of course still not without nervous giggles. All the drivers positively fell over laughing when the bottle landed on Checo next, both Force India drivers going ashen once they realised. Esteban looked as if he was walking to the gallows as he walked over to his teammate, who seemed to be looking for an escape. Everyone cheered as Esteban’s pressed his lips against Checo’s for a split second. Suddenly, the Frenchman decided to play a little cheeky, dipping his teammate down into a bridal style kiss, making the rest of the drivers burst into hysterics. Judging from the audible laughs, Daniel was well past crying, instead full on sobbing of laughter.

Eventually, the Frenchman pulled the Mexican back up, and the game continued, Checo’s spin landing on Felipe. Neither really cared about this, not giving it a second thought, just briefly kissing the other. The bottle then landed on Lance, who cleared his throat awkwardly but briefly allowed Felipe to press their lips together. It was rather awkward for the youngest driver to be kissing one of the oldest, however they weren’t exactly sober, and Felipe was already married.

When it was Lance’s turn to spin, Daniel got ready. He watched for a moment, and then kicked out his leg, hoping his timing would be good enough. The bottle did indeed stop at Esteban, making Lance blush crimson red.

The Canadian got up to walk towards Esteban, but his shoe somehow caught on the floor, sending him hurtling towards the ground.

However, it wasn’t the ground he impacted, instead a soft chest, of a certain Frenchman. Lance wasn’t sure what to do as he looked at Esteban, still pressed against him. A small smile tugged at Esteban’s lips as he adjusted his arms slightly, not really wanting to let go of him yet. 

“I think you’re supposed to kiss me.” Esteban whispered teasingly when Lance still didn’t move. Lance gave a short nod, breathing out shakily. Then, he hesitantly moved closer and brushed his lips against Esteban’s, his eyes instinctively fluttering closed at the contact. He felt Esteban’s hand come up to his cheek, the Frenchman placing a light touch against the skin. 

The pair stayed in the embrace for easily a minute, only breaking apart when someone coughed loudly. They both blushed and Lance stepped away from Esteban, who stopped him by intertwining their fingers together with a soft smile.

“Just say it Lance!” Dan exclaimed. Lance stared wide-eyed at the Aussie for a moment before turning back to Esteban, the Frenchman regarding him with interest, head slightly tilted.

“I eh…” Lance fumbled. “I like you.” his voice was barely above a whisper and he was afraid he would have to repeat it, not really sure if he could say it again. A large smile broke out on Esteban’s face, relief evident.

“Je t’aime aussi, Lance.” The Frenchman whispered back, before once again taking Lance in for a kiss. This one was a lot shorter, but also a lot needy, fulfilling their needs for the night.

Eventually though, Esteban had to spin the bottle, and it landed on Max again, who’s kiss was nothing compared to his boyfriend's. But for the sake of the game, he went through with it, placing a short peck on the Dutchman's lips.

Max spun the bottle again afterwards, watching it spin alarmingly fast around the group. Lance’s hand suddenly killed all the rotation, smirking at Daniel whilst doing so. Eventually, the bottle made it around to the Australian, which meant Max would be kissing his crush. 

A slight blush now came to Daniel’s cheeks as well when Max got up and walked over. Max searched Dan’s face for a moment, before slowly leaning in. The pressure from Daniel's lips on his felt almost too good, and he never wanted the feeling to stop, but he knew Daniel wasn't feeling the same way, so he pulled away after the shortest time. 

“Is there something going on here?” Sebastian said with a thoughtful look on his face. Both Red Bull drivers blushed and awkwardly shook their heads.

“No! Max is dating some model at the moment, so unless he's cheating, we aren't together.” Dan said, trying hard to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Max blushed but didn’t correct him, instead looking down on his hand.

He might tell Dan, someday, but now was not the time.


	5. 5: Nico and Checo

Daniel watched in amusement as Checo sat down on the sofa besides him with a sigh. It was after the US Grand Prix, Checo high off his 8th place, Daniel drinking away the hurt over a retirement, his first in 3 months. Even though he had done rather well today, Checo was frowning even more than Daniel.

“Love troubles?” Daniel joked, earning a half-hearted glare from the Mexican.

“Shut up.” Checo snapped, not denying it.

“I guess that’s a yes then.” Daniel said hesitantly. Checo huffed in return and rolled his eyes.

“Who is it then?” Daniel asked.

“Doesn’t matter.” Checo said sharply, “It all wouldn’t be such a problem if he stopped being so fucking perfect, w-with his perfect blonde hair and German words and… and his tallness…” Checo trailed off. Daniel blinked in surprise.

“Hülkenberg?!” he almost yelled in reaction to Checo’s confession, the description making it unmistakeable which driver the Mexican was pining over. Checo paled but then gave a small nod.

“Why’s he so out of my league?” he sighed.

“Mate, don't say that. You’re perfectly worthy of dating him.” Dan reached over to pet Checo’s shoulder. Checo gave him an indignant look and scoffed.

“Yeah sure, makes total sense, of course. He’s used to much younger teammates now Dan, there’s no way he even cares.”

“Honestly, you're worth more than you think. Carlos has nothing compared to you mate.” Checo was still frowning but seemed to have calmed down slightly.

“How would you know that? He’s the better looking version of me, a prettier replacement.” Checo sighed, giving Daniel a rather defeated look.

“You do know Carlos has a girlfriend?” Daniel told him. Checo shrugged and looked away.

“That’s what they all say.” he mumbled. Daniel sighed and reached over to pet Checo’s arm again.

“Trust me, he’ll be yours Checo, don’t lose the faith.”

~~~

“And that’s the Force India of Sergio Perez, looks like a nasty impact to the barriers.” Checo had to suppress a groan as he pushed himself out of the pink car, his muscles aching as the pain set in. He could hear all that the commentators were saying, and knew he was on for a top 5 finish, only to have it slip away through a careless mistake. He kept his helmet on as he made his way back to the garage, effectively blocking out all the looks he was getting. It was only when he was safely hidden away in his driver room that he dared to take it off, sighing as we pushed his fingers through his hair, trying to not let his frustrations come out.

No one dared to bother him the remainder of the race, something Checo appreciated. He didn’t want anyone’s pity, or anger. He just wanted to cry the rest of the race away, shutting the world away for as long as possible.

He had lost track of time when there was a soft knock on his door. He didn’t have time to wipe the remainders of tears of his cheeks before the door opened, a familiar head with brown curls poking around.

“Checo…” Daniel’s  voice was gentle, which only made things worse. Checo glared at him and crossed his arms over his chest as Daniel sat down next to him.

“You okay mate?” Daniel asked, bumping their shoulders together. Checo huffed.

“No! Of course not, I just lost my chance at a podium finish and everything hurts.” Daniel stayed quiet for a moment, waiting for Checo to calm down.

“And you and Nico?” he asked hesitantly after a moment. Checo frowned heavily.

“Don’t start about that. Nico will never feel the same way about me, Dan, it’s not possible. Why would he love someone like me? He deserves so much better than what I can offer him. He just too perfect, and I’m just… me.” Checo sighed, tiredly rubbing a hand over his face. What the Mexican didn’t know was that Dan was recording their conversation, sending it off to a certain German once he was sure Nico would understand what was going on.

Said German was back in his cooldown room, after the round of press and a 6th placed finish. He was quite surprised to receive a message from Daniel, even more so when he saw it was a recording of something. Pressing play, he was more surprised to hear 2 voices, Daniel seemingly having a conversation with someone else, the Mexican accent quite unmistakably Checo’s. Nico was even more surprised at what Checo was saying and felt himself smile slightly at his words. He had liked Checo for some time now, but figured his ex-teammate would never feel the same. Apparently, Checo had thought the same about him. Moving to Renault has been the most agonising part of his career, leaving behind a team and teammate he loved, for the possibility of better performance. He really did miss Checo, but he never had the chance to tell him that.

“Keep this between us, but I'd like you try set us up, you know I feel the exact same way.” Nico texted Daniel, repeating what he’d already told the Australian before.

“I'll try my best, I'm confident you'll end up together anyway!” Was Dan’s answer, making the German smile.

~~

“Can we have one more round of shots over here?” Nico hollered to the bartender, desperate for more alcohol. He’d just secured Renault 6th place in the constructors, he wanted to celebrate this moment in style.

The coloured small glasses soon made their way to the table, everyone having had around 4 already. Nico, Daniel, Checo, Lance, Esteban and Max all took hold of the little glass, before Nico counted down to zero, downing the little glasses of alcohol. Nico caught Checo’s eye as he placed the little glass on the table between them, the Mexican’s cheeks already flushed.

“Oi Checo, who you staring at!” Dan yelled with a sly smirk, chuckling when he saw Checo tense in shock and immediately tearing his eyes away from his former teammate.

“I… er… wasn't staring, yeah! Not looking at anyone, nobody at all!” Checo protested, but he knew that everyone could see who he was previously staring at.

“Are you sure it wasn't a certain German driver?” Daniel teased back, seeing the blush slowly rise to the Mexican’s cheeks.

“As I said, wasn't staring at anyone!” he said again, trying to convince Daniel this was the truth, despite the Australian catching him openly staring.

“I wouldn’t mind you staring.” Nico suddenly spoke up, giving the Mexican a nervous smile. Checo regarded him with wide eyes for a moment, swallowing thickly.

“You… no, you don't. Are you serious?” The Mexican finally stuttered in disbelief, not quite believing the German’s actions and words.

“Yeah, kinda liked you since our Force India days.” Nico responded, before moving to place his arm around Checo's waist.

“Same, but I didn't know how to tell you I liked you.” Checo said, pressing closer.

“It took alcohol and Daniel, but at least we finally said those words. Would have been a shame if I’d never been able to tell you.” Nico confessed, before being interrupted by a needy Checo.

“Just shut up and kiss me Nico!” he almost yelled, before reaching up to kiss the tall German, what he’d wanted to do for years.


	6. 6: Daniel and Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a long wait, the final chapter is finally here!

“We can't serve them tacos, Checo!” Nico exclaimed as the Mexican suggested making the dish for the hundredth time.

“When what else do you suggest then! We can't exactly serve them bratwurst can we?” 

“Well we at least know they both like sausage, so where's the harm in that?” Nico snapped. Checo grumpily mumbled something, folding his arms over his chest.

“They don’t need food, just give them enough alcohol to get them drunk.” Kimi interrupted with a shrug. 

“We can't get them drunk though, do we want to witness drunk sex on the restaurant floor?” Checo said, wrinkling up his nose in disgust

“Then why did I bring all those bottles of vodka?” Kimi grumbled.

“No one here drinks vodka but you Kimi.” Seb said in exasperation. 

“Well they should, would make this so much easier.” Kimi said, walking off to sulk in the corner, Sebastian trailing behind him like a puppy. 

“You agree with me on the bratwurst, right Seb?” Nico called after him. Sebastian just gave a little shrug in return, obviously having spend too much time with Kimi. 

“Tacos is better than stupid German sausage.” Checo declared, making Nico raise an eyebrow in surprise.

“Not what you said last night!” Nico said, making the Mexican turn bright red. 

“Guys! Let’s just make something else!” Fernando exclaimed in frustration, slamming his face into his hands, annoyed over the drivers fighting.

“Well what food do both Australians and Dutchies like? That’s the easiest way to solve it.” Esteban said. 

“Stoff, you’re practically Dutch!” Jenson exclaimed, looking over at the Belgian.

“Not true!” Stoffel said, looking offended by the remark. Pierre rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand over his boyfriend’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

“Well I remember Dan said to me that he once loved something like ribs, or steak, if that’s feasible?” Jenson piped up. The others thought for a moment but then agreed, although there was still a slight pout on Checo’s face. 

“But what about the tacos?” the Mexican mumbled unhappily. Nico rolled his eyes, pulling him closer to his side.

“We don’t need any tacos, Checo. Max doesn’t even like them.” Nico told him matter-of-factly. Checo gasped, making Nico snort.

“Well I don’t like Max then.” Checo declared, stubbornly frowning at the table. Nico chuckled, pressing a kiss to Checo’s temple.

“So steak or ribs, right?” Lance asked, receiving nods from the others, most of them looking relieved to just have agreed on something.

“Where were we doing this then?” Pierre asked, making the others frown slightly again.

“Needs to be somewhere romantic.” Fernando said with a smile. 

“Yeah, well maybe we could use of the small restaurants around here?” Stoffel added 

“Actually, I know the owners of a restaurant in Barcelona, we could use that one before the race?” Fernando said. 

“So we’ll leave you in charge of hiring it, Nando. The question is, how do we get them to the restaurant. They're hardly speaking after Baku, this is gonna be hard!” Jenson said with a frown. Pierre hesitated but then spoke up.

“I think I could trick Max into going there, he’ll be up for drinks with me and Stoffel.” Pierre noted. Stoffel nodded in agreement. 

“So that’s just leaves Daniel then.” Esteban noted, wondering if anyone had ideas to get him on board.

“We know he likes to drink, if that helps?” Fernando said. Jenson suddenly grinned.

“I'll ask him for drinks, discuss new ideas for Blue Coast Brewing.” he said, looking rather pleased with his own idea. The others nodded in agreement, knowing that would be their best option.

“So, we got the food and location and how to get them there, anything else?”

“Tacos?” Checo asked, receiving a sigh of annoyance from the group.

“We don't need any tacos Checo!”

\---

Max smiled half-heartedly as he climbed into the car with Pierre and Stoffel. He normally liked going out with them, but with everything that had happened the past few weeks, he wasn’t completely sure he wanted to go. But he couldn't deny the fact he needed alcohol, especially with everything going on in the racing scene.

“There’s this small place Fernando told me about.” Stoffel explained. “We thought we could try it out tonight.” Max hummed in agreement, honestly not caring where they were going as long as there was alcohol present

“You’d best be getting me drunk, Vandoorne.” Max said. Pierre chuckled.

“Don’t worry, we heard there would be plenty of alcohol there.” Stoffel assured the Dutchman, seeing his smile brighten slightly. 

Meanwhile, Jenson was trying to find his way to the venue, on a road which wasn't heavy with traffic. Daniel was next to him, not as talkative as he normally was. Jenson cursed inwardly as they passed the same traffic lights for what felt like the third time, even Daniel was starting to notice, giving Jenson a confused look.

“We’re almost there, I think.” Jenson mumbled, glaring at the navigation system. Daniel sighed.

“We can always go somewhere else. I mean, there are so many different places around, why here?”

“No!” Jenson quickly interrupted. “I eh… made a reservation already?” he tried. Daniel clearly didn’t believe him, but also didn’t object anymore, settling for sulking in his chair, still grumpy after Jenson had spend about two days trying to drag his out of his apartment. He wasn’t in the mood to socialise with anyone, not after all the shit race weekends the team had had so far. 

Jenson took notice of the Aussie’s sulking and slammed his fist against Dan’s shoulder.

“Man up, it’s going to be fun.” he told him. Daniel gave him a half-hearted glare but then smirked.

“If you can ever even find the damn place.”

~~  
Max was the first to arrive at the little restaurant, frowning at the empty looking place. Pierre gave him a little push towards the entrance, the Frenchman looking slightly nervous for some reason. He looked back at Stoffel, who was equally as confused, Jenson should have arrived by this point. Stoffel gave him a small shrug before turning to Max.

“Let’s go in, yeah?” Stoffel finally said, unsure what else to do. They walked Max inside, the Dutchman’s eyebrows raising in surprise when he saw a single table in the middle of the room, set for two people.

“What’s going on?” he asked. turning to the other two men with a heavy frown. Suddenly, more F1 drivers popped out of the kitchen, making Max even more confused. 

“Where is Jenson?” Fernando asked. Pierre shrugged.

“He should have been here by now.” he said. Lance frowned.

“He better come soon.” the Canadian said nervously. Max glared at all of them, folding his arms over his chest.

“What is going on?” he repeated, growing ever confused as the tension seemed to build. The door to the restaurant opened again and Jenson walked in, Daniel trailing behind him.

“You still aren't giving me an explanation here guys. Why am I here, why are all you here, and why’s Jenson just showed up with my teammate of all people.” Daniel seemed offended by Max’s tone, glaring at the Dutchman.

“They didn’t tell me you were going to be here either. I’m meant to be meeting Jenson for drinks.” Daniel said in return. Max glared some more before heading towards the door. Fernando quickly jumped in front of it, blocking him.

“Not so fast, Max. You should still stay, we’ve got food for you here!”

“Also a lot of alcohol.” Kimi added, popping up from behind the bar.

“Yeah, give me your strongest vodka then.” Max immediately said.

“No! First you need to talk to Daniel!” Sebastian said, swatting Kimi’s hand away as the Finn was already reaching for the vodka.

“But we’ve already made up over the crash, there's nothing else to talk about?” Daniel said, frowning in confusion. 

“Oh come on! You’re both acting so oblivious! Isn’t it clear why we brought you guys here?” Jenson said in exasperation.

“No?” Daniel and Max replied at the same time. 

“Oh for gods sake! You guys really need to get your shit together!” Lance exclaimed. 

Before anyone else could say anything more, the restaurant’s audio system started to play a tune familiar to all. The saxophone riff started to play, catching both Daniel and Max off guard.

“Is that Careless Whisper?” Max said in confusion, glancing at Daniel, who had started to blush furiously.

“I’m gonna kill whoever’s responsible!’ Daniel exclaimed in annoyance, scanning the room for who did it.. A certain Finn, still safely standing behind the bar, gave him a rather smug look. “Räikkönen you bastard!” 

“Daniel, you did it when setting me and him up, it's what we call payback!” Sebastian said, trying to stop laughter escaping his lips.

“Stop dragging it out, Daniel! Just kiss him already!” Fernando all but yelled, dragging him and Max into the centre of the room, everyone watching their every move.

“You do remember when we kissed before?” Max asked, hope in his eyes as he waited for Daniel to kiss him. Daniel swallowed thickly but nodded.

“Spin the bottle wasn't it?” Dan asked, remembering the scenes, how he kissed Max, knowing it would most likely be their only.

“Yeah, it was. But I don't want that being our only kiss.” Max said softly, taking all his courage to step closer to his teammate. Daniel’s eyes fell to his lips.

“I don’t want it to be our only kiss either.” Dan whispered back, before leaning forwards, pressing his lips against Max’s.

“Fucking finally!” Jenson exclaimed, followed by more calls from the other drivers. 

“It didn’t need to take this long though!” Esteban replied, everyone humming with agreement. 

“Well he did set us up, the least we could do was help him with Max!” Pierre said.

“Yeah, but we didn't even get to feed them tacos!” Checo complained, leaving the group to groan in disappointment.

“Shut up about your tacos Checo!” Nico replied, smiling at the Mexican before turning to the new couple.

“But seriously, glad we could help the matchmaker meet his match!”


End file.
